CANAL ROWFarmers of flood-prone villages begin stir
Patiala, September 7
A day before the hearing in the Supreme Court on the toe wall being constructed by Haryana along the Hansi-Butana embankment, farmers of flood-prone villages, led by leaders of the BKU Ekta (Dakunda), today started a 10-day agitation at Dharmheri village.

Protesting farmers sit on a fast at Dharmheri village near Patiala on Wednesday.
A Tribune photograph

Decision on extension units challenged
Chandigarh, September 7
The Punjab Government’s decision to allow extension units at the Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura thermal plants has been challenged. A petition has been filed before the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), saying the move is against the interests of the state.

Agri Minister Langah focusing on new segment
Dhariwal (Gurdaspur), September 7
Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah has launched a belligerent campaign in the Dhariwal SGPC seat and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that his victory margin is turned into a ‘massive’ one.

Sekhwan says ready to take over SGPC reins
Gunupur (Gurdaspur), September 7
For Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, the stakes in the SGPC polls are high. The former teacher is not only eyeing the presidentship of the SGPC — often referred as the ‘Mini Parliament’ of Sikhs — but also has to do a lot of ground work to do if he has to contest the forthcoming assembly elections from either Gurdaspur or
Batala.

Amarinder indifferent to Sikh sentiments, says SukhbirFaridkot, September 7Deputy Chief Minister and President of the Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal has alleged that former Chief Minister and PPCC President Captain Amarinder Singh is criticizing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(SGPC) without realizing the sentiments of the Sikh community on the directions of the Congress high command to weaken the Sikh religious institution.

Capt questions Badal move to train cops in Israel
Chandigarh, September 7
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today questioned the logic behind sending police personnel for commando training to Israel who will afterwards be deployed for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's security. He remarked,
"Badal seems to have no faith and trust in his own police force by seeing a terrorist behind every bush."

Nod to new wheat variety
Chandigarh, September 7
The State Variety Approval Committee, at a meeting in Ludhiana today, approved HD 2967, a new wheat variety, to replace the existing PBW 343, which is being phased out because it has become increasingly susceptible to yellow rust.

BDS batch in limbo as varsity delays decision on exams
Bathinda, September 7
Students pursuing the Bachelor for Dental Surgery (BDS) course are in a limbo with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, delaying sending a request to the Dental Council of India, allowing the 2007 batch a six-month internship.

70% pollution checking centres sans testing equipment
Patiala, September 7
In a startling revelation during raids conducted yesterday by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), it has come to light that as many as 70 per cent vehicle pollution-checking centres in the state are not equipped with the requisite testing instruments.

Bodies of 4 of family fished out from Bhakra canal
Rajpura, September 7
The city police fished out bodies of four members of a family hailing from Gajju-Kherha village in Banur along with their Alto car from the Bhakra-Nirwana canal here today.
The family had been missing for the past four days and the police had registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC at the Ganda Kherhi police station.

Villagers hold protest against slaughterhouse
Dera Bassi, September 7
Residents of Lalru and Dera Bassi villages staged a rally from Jaula village to the SDM office, Dera Bassi, on their vehicles here today in a protest against Meera Export Slaughterhouse near
Lalru.

Special child ‘rusticated’ over van charges
Patiala, September 7
High drama prevailed outside Riverdale Public School today when the parents of a Class I student, Gurinder Singh, of Kheri Jattan village, reached the school to talk to the principal after their son was allegedly rusticated from the school. Gurinder is a special child (70 per cent hearing impaired).Class I student Gurinder Singh with his father in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Making special kids self-dependent
Bathinda, September 7
In a move aimed to inculcate technical skills in them, about 150 hearing impaired students of Class II-X at local Mahant Gurbanta Dass School for Deaf and Dumb Children are being imparted computer training these days at the Information and Communication Technology Vocational Training Centre (Computer Laboratory) here.

A special child gets vocational training in computers at the Information and Communication Technology Vocational Training Centre in
Bathinda. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Engineers to begin protest from today
Patiala, September 7
On account of the non-acceptance of their long-pending demands, Junior engineers, working with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), have decided to launch a statewide agitation from tomorrow. President of the Council of Junior Engineers, PSEB, Sawarn Lal, confirmed this here today.

NCC cadets undertake sailing expedition
Chandigarh, September 7
As many as 63 NCC cadets, including 22 girls, from the city are undergoing sailing and seamanship training at the Gobind Sagar lake at Bhakra in Himachal
Pradesh. Besides inculcating the spirit of adventure and developing comradeship, the 12-day expedition will prepare them for participating in the national level Nau-sainik camp to be held later at Vishakapatnam.

EDI system at Amritsar airport gets operational
Amritsar, September 7
The electronic Data Interface (EDI) system at the international airport here has become fully operational, three years after its installation.
The Department of Customs has authorised the Punjab National Bank to collect Customs duty.

Madras Regiment wins band contest
Chandigarh, September 7
As many as 16 regimental bands took part in a band competition organised at the Mamun Cantonment near Pathankot today. The trophy for the best band was won by the Madras Regiment.

Nominations invited for Sat Paul AwardChandigarh, September 7The Nehru Sidhant Kender Trust, founded by Sat Paul
Mittal, to propagate the ideologies of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, invites nominations for the Sat Paul Mittal National Award for outstanding services to humanity for 2011.

Man held for creating fake Facebook profile
Mohali, September 7
The cyber crime wing of the Punjab State Crime Branch, Mohali, has arrested a man for allegedly creating a fake profile of a woman from Sultanpur
Lodhi, Kapurthala, on Facebook.

Community ties drown, farmers slug it out over draining fields
19 injured in Bathinda, Mansa districts over the past two days
Gurdeep Singh Mann
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 7
As many as 19 persons have been injured in brawls at different places over draining out rainwater from low-lying agricultural fields and residential areas in Bathinda and Mansa districts over the past two days.

Incessant rains lashed the area over the past 48 hours leading to waterlogging in several parts. Farmers are eager to drain out water to get rid of diseases linked to the cotton and paddy crops while people in residential areas are fighting to stop flow of water into their areas.

Residents near Bir Nagar locality of Mansa have been sitting on a dharna since Tuesday to press the authorities to divert the route of water from their locality and to solve the problem permanently. They are not allowing any vehicle to pass through the FCI road in protest against water stagnation outside their homes.

In Bathinda, eight people, including a village sarpanch, received injuries at Kauriana village following dispute over rainwater yesterday. Nine residents of Natt village and two in Chatthewala received injuries following a clash after a dispute over release of water from streets today.

Talwandi police received written complaints in this regard and more than a dozen people are undergoing treatment after brawls over the issue. Suresh Kumar, a resident of Talwandi Sabo, said farmers are in a hurry to drain out water. "In a bid to drain out water, they break the roads to create own drains using farm tools and tractors. When water enters into the fields or other houses people resist and fight with each other," he said.

In Kauriana village, there are around 50 houses and whenever it rains people try to divert route of gushing water. While those residing downstream block the water, others object for stopping the flow, said another villager Charanjit Singh.

Ajitpal, a resident of Jhanda Kalan village of Mansa, said skirmishes and bloody brawls increase in his village and surrounding villages whenever it rains.

SHO Talwandi Gamdoor Singh says so far more than 25 residents of three villages have been involved in bloody brawls over stagnation of water either in agricultural fields or residential areas. Some of them may reach a compromise or else a case has to be registered, he said.

Abohar, September 7
The statue of veteran freedom fighter Swami Keshwanand, former MP, at the Sahitya Sadan complex had a marginal escape as rain and high velocity wind uprooted trees last night in the Abohar area.

The 39th death anniversary of the octogenarian saint is to be celebrated on September 13 at Abohar and Sangria in neighbouring
Rajasthan.

More than two dozen houses have collapsed in village Khubban. Former legislator Prakash Singh Bhatti visited the affected families and demanded special compensation since the affected families belonged to BPL category. The Abohar Municipal Council has partially restored supply of drinking water without getting it filtered as per laid down standards.

Meanwhile, in Sriganganagar region, one Basti Devi and her son Rajinder Kumar died as lightning struck a hut in which they had taken shelter while working in a field in village Baliyali, SDM Kartar Singh confirmed.

Patiala, September 7
A day before the hearing in the Supreme Court on the toe wall being constructed by Haryana along the Hansi-Butana embankment, farmers of flood-prone villages, led by leaders of the BKU Ekta (Dakunda), today started a 10-day agitation at Dharmheri village.

Carrying banners and placards, the farmers reiterated their demand that the construction work be stopped immediately. Seven farmers sat on a fast till September 16. Addressing the farmers, BKU Ekta (Dakunda) president and coordinator of the Anti-Hansia Butana Canal Committee, Dr Darshan Pal, said it was a matter of concern that despite several protests by farmers of flood-prone villages in both Punjab and Haryana, the state governments had not taken any concrete steps to resolve the matter amicably.

“It is the duty of the Centre to intervene in the matter to save the farmers from the fury of the floods”, he said. Several protesting farmers, including Jagjit Singh from Haripur village and Jassa Singh from Sassa Thay said: “It is unfortunate that instead of sorting out the problem, the governments of Punjab and Haryana are fighting a legal battle in the Supreme Court.

“A strong political will can resolve the issue. What needs to be done is to stop the construction of the toe wall and make a provision for siphons and a cross-drainage system so that the Hansi Butana canal does not obstruct the natural flow of the Ghaggar waters.” Representatives of the Anti-Hansia Butana Canal Committee said that a batch of seven farmers would sit on fast daily till September 16. “We will conclude our agitation with the burning of effigies of the Government of Punjab, Haryana and the Centre at the Patiala-Kaithal state highway”, said the committee members.

Chandigarh, September 7
The Punjab Government’s decision to allow extension units at the Talwandi Sabo and Rajpura thermal plants has been challenged. A petition has been filed before the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), saying the move is against the interests of the state.

The government had allowed an extension unit of 660 MW at the 3x660 MW Talwandi Sabo thermal plant being developed by Sterlite and an extension unit of 700 MW at the 2x700 MW Rajpura thermal plant being developed by Larsen and Toubro.

The petition, filed by former engineer Gurnek Singh Brar, has said that the government had allowed the developers to set up one more unit after conclusion of the tendering process, award of the project and approval by the PSERC. It claims this post-tender development was not permissible under the Central tariff policy that calls for compulsory bidding.

Moreover, it says the Electricity Act, 2003 does not allow the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route for award of extension units, as has been done in these cases.

The petition has objected to the state’s decision to allow the developer to sell 85 per cent of power from the extension unit.

This, he claims, gives a huge financial benefit to the developer and deprives the state and its consumers of power. It also claims the state has allowed the extension units to generate 5 per cent power at the fuel rate and 10 per cent power from the unit at the bidding rate. The petition claims this is a decision that is to be taken by the regulator and that neither the state nor Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) can decide tariff matters.

Brar claims that while the developer has been given the benefit of setting up the extension unit on an already approved project site and with the advantage of using the common facilities, the PSPCL has been given extremely inadequate benefit in return.

Claiming the tariff parameters of the extension units did not meet the statutory requirements of transparency as contained in the Electricity Act, the petition has urged the regulatory commission to disapprove the same.

CURRENT MATTERS

The government has allowed an extension unit of 660 MW at the Talwandi Sabo thermal plant being developed by Sterlite

It has okayed an extension unit of 700 MW at the Rajpura plant being developed by Larsen and Toubro

Petition says developers have been allowed to set up another unit after conclusion of the tendering process, which is not permissible

Says the decision to allow the developer to sell 85 per cent of power from the extension unit is anti-consumer

Claims that tariff parameters of the extension units don’t meet the statutory requirements

Reality bytes: Repeatedly reminds his audience at rallies that both Nishan and Sidhwan are more of "pretenders" and less of "contenders"

Dhariwal (Gurdaspur), September 7
Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah has launched a belligerent campaign in the Dhariwal SGPC seat and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that his victory margin is turned into a ‘massive’ one.

Up and running before the first rays of the sun hit the ground, Langah, a diabetic, manages to address gatherings in at least 10 villages everyday. The emphasis in his speeches is on “constructing more SGPC-controlled educational institutes and hospitals in villages.”

The Minister hits the road at dawn and by dusk he is a tired man with his white clothes turning into a dull grey and today was no exception as he toured villages of his constituency. His grey Innova car leads a caravan comprising nearly half a dozen cars and the moment his car screeches to a halt at Zafarwal village, the dust rises signifying the arrival of ‘Langah Sahib’.

Langah is a far cry from his earlier self when he would brazenly shout his way past his followers. Now, a much mellowed personality, Langah wades into his gathering with ease and listens to the grievances of his followers as he promises them at almost every meeting that, once elected, he would intensify ‘Gurmat Parchar’ in the area.

The politician in Langah is astutely using the SGPC poll as a lever to garner support for himself from the newly carved Dera Baba Nanak assembly segment. The delimitation exercise has meant that the Dhariwal assembly seat, represented by him in the Vidhan Sabha, has been done away with and instead a new assembly seat in the form of Dera Baba Nanak has come up.

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 80 villages of Dhariwal SGPC seat fall in Dera Baba Nanak assembly seat.

Langah, a SGPC member since 1996, claims that his biggest achievement till date was to construct the modern Gurdwara Banda Bahadur Gurdwara at Gurdas Nangal. He also recounts how he coerced the SGPC to construct a polytechnic college and hospital in the vicinity of the gurdwara.

His rival is Harbans Singh Sidhwan, a Panthic Morcha candidate who has the backing of former Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. Nishan Singh of the SAD (Mann) is yet another contender although a tour of the constituency revealed that both Sidhwan and Nishan Singh were on a weak wicket.

Langah, who has been a sitting SGPC member since 1996, knows the rough and tough of Akali politics. He has his audience in peels of laughter as he repeatedly reminds them that both Nishan Singh and Sidhwan are more of “pretenders” and less of “contenders”. He also manages to carry his electorate with him when he claims, “I have already given you a polytechnic, a hospital and a school and I will bring more such institutions in the future.”

Reality bytes: In a tough fight with close relative Jagir Singh, proximity with whom was once the talk of the town before both fell out during the assembly elections in 2007

Gunupur (Gurdaspur), September 7
For Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, the stakes in the SGPC polls are high. The former teacher is not only eyeing the presidentship of the SGPC — often referred as the ‘Mini Parliament’ of Sikhs — but also has to do a lot of ground work to do if he has to contest the forthcoming assembly elections from either Gurdaspur or Batala.

Sekhwan, who addresses gatherings at half a dozen villages daily in his Gurdaspur SGPC constituency, is most remembered in the region for setting up hoardings proclaiming himself as SGPC president in 2005 when Avtar Singh Makkar emerged as the consensus candidate. This SGPC seat has a total of 67,997 votes.

Widely perceived to be Parkash Singh Badal’s ‘Man Friday’ in Majha, Sekhwan makes no bones about becoming the SGPC president. He avers that no candidate from Majha has ever assumed premiership of the Sikh body and it is high time that he took over the reins. “I am a senior SAD leader and a sitting SGPC member since 1996. My entire family adheres to Sikh tenets and I am the best candidate for SGPC president,” said Sekhwan after addressing a gathering at the village gurdwara.

Sekhwan is being given a tough fight by his close relative and Panthic Morcha candidate Jagir Singh whose proximity to the Education Minister was once the talk of the town before both fell out in the aftermath of the Kahnuwan assembly election in 2007 which Sekhwan lost to Partap Bajwa.

Jagir Singh’s aggressive door-to-door campaigning has given Sekhwan the jitters. The Minister himself does not believe in canvassing door to door and has left this job to his son Jagrup Sekhwan. Jagir also has the tacit support of the Congress with Member of Parliament Partap Bajwa holding rallies to garner support for the Panthic Morcha candidate.

The third candidate in the fray is an Independent, Ranbir Singh, who has the backing of the Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP). The fact that party’s chief Manpreet Badal is slated to address a series of meetings from tomorrow has also put Sekhwan in an uncomfortable spot.

Another reason why Sekhwan has decided to fight the SGPC elections is that after the delimitation exercise the Minister has lost his pet assembly segment, Kahnuwan, which has been excluded from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency. This means that he will either slug it out from Gurdaspur town or adjoining Batala assembly segment. However, sources reveal that with the BJP not letting go of Batala, Sekhwan has been left with no option except to fight from Gurdaspur. “Sekhwan has an eye on Gurdaspur town and he intends to nurture this assembly segment through the SGPC elections,” admitted a Sekhwan aide.

Faridkot, September 7
Deputy Chief Minister and President of the Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal has alleged that former Chief Minister and PPCC President Captain Amarinder Singh is criticizing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) without realizing the sentiments of the Sikh community on the directions of the Congress high command to weaken the Sikh religious institution.

He was addressing public rallies in favour of the SAD-Sant Samaj candidates for the ensuing SGPC elections at Jaito, Kotkapura and Faridkot on Wednesday. He also held a closed door meeting with liquor baron Deep Malhotra at his residence and had lunch with him and his family members.

Sukhbir skipped a press conference scheduled at Malhotra's residence. Therefore, the details of the meeting were not immediately known.

At Jaito and Kotkapura, Sukhbir said that the Darbar Sahib is a holy shrine of the Sikhs and its management should not be seen just in the context of profit and loss.

"The PPCC President must understand that it is a question of faith and the SGPC has the responsibility of maintaining the highest standards for the upkeep of these historical shrines," he said.

He lashed out at Captain Amarinder for allegedly trying to create confusion on sensitive religious issues, probably to give electoral benefits to the candidates of the Panthic Morcha who are contesting the SGPC elections against the SAD.
He said that the budget of the SGPC is a public document open to scrutiny and one should study the document before levelling allegations and raising doubts on the management of the
gurdwaras.

The junior Badal said that this 'Parliament of the Sikhs' is not just managing the historical shrines but also running a number of educational institutions including technical and medical colleges and providing healthcare facilities to society in many states of the country.

Referring to the historical town of Fatehgarh Sahib associated with the martyrdom of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh,
Sukhbir Badal pointed out that this town has now come up as an educational hub with the assistance of the SGPC and
the Guru Granth Sahib World University has also been set up here.

Chandigarh, September 7
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today questioned the logic behind sending police personnel for commando training to Israel who will afterwards be deployed for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's security. He remarked, "Badal seems to have no faith and trust in his own police force by seeing a terrorist behind every bush."

Reacting to the reports that the Akali-BJP government in Punjab had decided to send cops to Israel for commando training, Capt Amarinder said Badal already had elite NSG security cover and now he wanted Israeli trained personnel for his security. He said if Badal really wanted to impart his security staff with advanced training, he could send them to NSG training centre at Manesar where even the SPG commandos, looking after the security of the Prime Minister, were trained or to Belgaum where Army's commandos are trained.

Capt Amarinder pointed out that when he took over as the Chief Minister, he returned all the NSG commandos who had been inducted into the Chief Minister's security by Badal and had instead deployed only the Punjab Police personnel for the job. "You should have faith in your own police and people," he told Badal. "Don't demoralise your own police by suspecting them."

Capt Amarinder also had a word of advice for Sukhbir Badal: "Everybody knows that Badal's political decisions over the past 40 years have been based on fear, but you are young and you should set a brave precedent by trusting your own police of which department you are the minister. Do not follow your father's footsteps, trust your police and people."

Chandigarh, September 7
The State Variety Approval Committee, at a meeting in Ludhiana today, approved HD 2967, a new wheat variety, to replace the existing PBW 343, which is being phased out because it has become increasingly susceptible to yellow rust.

The new variety was formally approved at a meeting of the Approval Committee chaired by Agriculture Director Dr BS Sidhu. Other members on the committee included PAU Director, Research, Dr SS Gosal and Director, Extension, Dr MS Gill.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has developed the new variety with a team of plant breeders headed by Genetics Division head Dr KV Prabhu. The variety is also resistant to other wheat diseases including the Karnal bunt, flag smut and leaf blight. It contains more zinc, copper and manganese than the other varieties and ,hence, has more nutritional value.

The Director, Agriculture, said the state would be able to meet its target of producing 164 lakh tonnes of wheat with the introduction of this variety.

Agriculture Minister Suchha Singh Langah today sent a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, asking him to ensure the state got adequate seed of the new variety.

There had been a clamour to replace PBW 343 due to its susceptibility to the yellow rust. Other alternatives - PBW 502, PBW 550 and PBW 621- also fell victim to the disease.

Despite PBW 343 being offered at a subsidy, the farmers were refusing to sow as it was susceptible to the yellow rust. Sources said HD 2967 had an average yield of 21.3 quintals per acre and would take 157 days to ripen.

The Variety Approval Committee also approved TL-17 for ‘toria’ and WHD 943 for durum wheat.

Indian Agricultural Research Institute has developed the new variety with a team of plant breeders headed by Genetics Division head
Dr KV Prabhu

The variety is resistant to wheat diseases such as the flag smut and leaf blight besides the yellow rust

It contains more zinc, copper and manganese than the other varieties and , hence, has more nutritional value

Bathinda, September 7
Students pursuing the Bachelor for Dental Surgery (BDS) course are in a limbo with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, delaying sending a request to the Dental Council of India, allowing the 2007 batch a six-month internship.

In 2007, the council had issued the Revised BDS Course Regulation: 2007, doing away with internship for the 2007-08 batch students. However, it was re-introduced for the 2008-09 batch.

The council had notified earlier that since the students began clinical practice in their third year of the course, they did not require internship. It was also decided that the colleges would not take internship fee and the government would not pay any stipend. Punjab and Andhra Pradesh were the only two states to have implemented this decision.

Over 1,600 students from both the states now stand affected by this decision.

“We are apprehensive of not getting adequate job opportunities. We cannot compete for postgraduate courses and neither can we migrate abroad for work for which at least 365 days of internship is mandatory,” said the affected students.

The council has directed both the state governments to give in writing before September 23 that their 2007 batch students will be given permission for a six-month internship and that they will conduct exams for the batch in December instead of May-June.

Under pressure from students, principals of various dental colleges in the state held a meeting under Vice-Chancellor Dr SS Gill here today but failed to take a decision on the exams.

Students of Faridkot, Patiala, Amritsar, Muktsar and Ferozepur, who reached here today, alleged that some private colleges had taken internship fee from them, much against the rules.

Dr Gill said: “If any student has been charged for internship, he or she should come to the university with the receipt. We’ll take action.”

Patiala, September 7
In a startling revelation during raids conducted yesterday by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), it has come to light that as many as 70 per cent vehicle pollution-checking centres in the state are not equipped with the requisite testing instruments.

The board teams raided 94 vehicle pollution checking centres and found that 70 per cent of the centres did not have the testing facilities and were issuing fake pollution under control (PUC) certificates.

PPCB Chairman KS Pannu said 16 teams raided 94 vehicle pollution-checking centres and most of them were found issuing fake PUC certificates. Fake readings were found entered in the computers to generate the certificate, he added.

Pannu further said it was a matter of grave concern that the ambient air quality in Punjab was not meeting the national standards, particularly in Ludhiana, Gobindgarh, Jalandhar and Amritsar and pollution by exhaust of vehicles was one of the major reasons of air pollution in the state.

“The board will ask the district transport officers to cancel the authorisation of defaulting vehicular pollution checking centres and file an FIR against the centres, which were found issuing fake certificates. The board will also take up the matter with the secretary, Department of Transport, suggesting reviewing the whole system of pollution-checking centre’s registration and renewal,” Pannu said.

Presently, the Department of Transport gives authorisation for the vehicle pollution checking centre under the rule 170-B (2) of the Punjab Motor Vehicle Rules - 1981 to issue pollution under control certificates after charging a fee from the owner of the vehicle. The authorisation is renewed every year by the Transport Department.

Pannu rued that centres, which were meant to make the ambient air of the state healthy, were themselves suffering from systemic deformities, thereby hoodwinking the administration in the Transport Department. “Such centres are playing fraud with the innocent vehicle owners by charging fee up to Rs 50 for a service, which they do not provide,” he added.

Rajpura, September 7
The city police fished out bodies of four members of a family hailing from Gajju-Kherha village in Banur along with their Alto car from the Bhakra-Nirwana canal here today.
The family had been missing for the past four days and the police had registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC at the Ganda Kherhi police station.

The police identified the victims as Sushil Kumar (36), Anju Rani (34), their daughter Anshu (12) and son Ankush (8), who were on their way back to their village in Banur, three days ago. The police claimed that the incident took place late in the evening.

Though the police has not ruled out any foul play in the incident, prima facie the cops suspected that the husband and wife could have had an argument with the husband who was driving the car, following which he turned towards the canal and in a fit of rage let the car inside canal.

Superintendent Police, Rajpura, Manmohan Sharma, claimed that though the police had a message pertaining to missing family from Banur, three days back the police station in Ganda-Kherhi heard a shrieking sound near the water canal adjacent to the police station. “However, when the police team reached the spot and tried to see, they could not make out anything and yesterday evening, divers were roped and they saw the car drowned in the water canal,” Sharma added.

As the water current was swift, the police arranged a crane and took out the car from the canal and all the four dead bodies were recovered. “We would start further investigations in the case following the postmortem report from the doctors,”said the police.

The deceased, Sushil Kumar, was a private doctor in Banur and had gone to Patiala to consult an orthopaedic doctor for his wife Anju. A missing report pertaining to the family was already lodged with the Banur police station.

Dera Bassi, September 7
Residents of Lalru and Dera Bassi villages staged a rally from Jaula village to the SDM office, Dera Bassi, on their vehicles here today in a protest against Meera Export Slaughterhouse near Lalru.

Residents raised slogans against the management of the meat plant and demanded its closure. They alleged that wastage of plant is being dumped in the open and people of nearby villages were bound to face the pollution problem. Along with this, two religious places - a historical gurdwara and a mandir, were situated on a short distance from this slaughterhouse.

Residents started the march on scooters, motorcycles and tractors and staged a rally in front of SDM office Dera Bassi and submitted a memorandum in which they demanded its closing. Rally was addressed by Parkash Singh Brana, Narmail Singh Joula, former sarpanch Surinder Singh, Spattar Singh Samgouli, Hakam Singh and Amrik Singh Malkpur. They said major polluting industries are being setup in the area and people were bound to face the bad effects of it.

Chemical units and meat plants were set up here, they added. They warned that they would stage dharna on September 9 and hold a hunger strike on September 20 and the last fast unto death would be started from October 5 if no action was taken against the slaughterhouse. Meanwhile, the management of the slaughterhouse said they were properly caring the pollution control norms directed by concerned departments from time to time. SDM Dera Bassi Rajesh Tripathi said memorandum of struggling people would be sent to the state government for action.

Patiala, September 7
High drama prevailed outside Riverdale Public School today when the parents of a Class I student, Gurinder Singh, of Kheri Jattan village, reached the school to talk to the principal after their son was allegedly rusticated from the school. Gurinder is a special child (70 per cent hearing impaired).

Talking to The Tribune in this regard, child’s father Balwinder Singh said his son was studying in the school for the past three years and he had gone to the school yesterday to pay his school fee.

“The clerk informed me that the school had increased the van fee by Rs 50 and after paying the fee I went to the principal to talk to her. “Actually I wanted to convey that we didn’t understand English so it would be really nice if the teachers could send notes for parents in Hindi. But, suddenly some other parents from an influential family arrived and she asked me to leave the office. I said I wanted to convey something important but then she started shouting at me. It was really embarrassing and while I was leaving the school, she sent my son behind me and sent a message that I should take him along,” he said.

He further said:“Next day, my son went to school as usual but the driver called me after sometime stating that the principal had rusticated him and had not allowed him to enter the school. When I reached there with few people from my village, the child was in pitiable condition and was crying badly as he had been standing there for almost one hour. When we went to the principal, she said she had rusticated the child but did not give any reason for it,” he added. Principal of the school Jasleen Malha refuted all the allegations stating that it was the child’s father who misbehaved with her yesterday over an increase of Rs 50 in van charges and took the child along.

“Diesel prices had gone up and that’s why we increased the charges after three years. He came to my office and started yelling at me. He said he would not send his ward to our school, therefore I asked my driver not to bring him to school today but Gurinder’s father sent him forcefully. We have not rusticated the child but its his father who is creating the scene,” she further informed.

Bathinda, September 7
In a move aimed to inculcate technical skills in them, about 150 hearing impaired students of Class II-X at local Mahant Gurbanta Dass School for Deaf and Dumb Children are being imparted computer training these days at the Information and Communication Technology Vocational Training Centre (Computer Laboratory) here.

The centre has been set up on the premises of the school by the Education and Research Network (ERNET) India, New Delhi, an autonomous society of the Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Government of India. The ERNET India has borne the cost of the centre and provided 10 computers, a server, colour laser printer, UPS, besides bearing internet expenses and salary of a computer trainer for two years.

Computer trainer Jaspreet Singh, deputed by the ERNET India, is himself a hearing impaired. School computer instructor Babita Rani is assisting him in imparting training to the special children. Both recently underwent a week’s training at the NAB (National Association of Blinds) Centre for Blind Women and Disability Studies, New Delhi.

Principal Maninder Kaur Bhalla said this two-year training programme would help these special children become self-dependent later in life.

Patiala, September 7
On account of the non-acceptance of their long-pending demands, Junior engineers, working with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), have decided to launch a statewide agitation from tomorrow. President of the Council of Junior Engineers, PSEB, Sawarn Lal, confirmed this here today.

As a part of the agitation, the junior engineers would hold protest demonstrations in front of all the circle headquarters of the PSPCL on September 8 and would also submit a memorandum of demands to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts of the state. “In the second phase of the agitation, from September 15 to 22, a zone-wise 24-hour chain fast would be observed by the junior engineers, in front of the PSPCL headquarters in Patiala. A batch of seven members from each zone will sit on a chain hunger strike,” he said.

Meanwhile, accusing the PSPCL management of deliberately adopting an indifferent attitude toward their genuine demands, council general secretary Davinder Singh said: “The junior engineers are working round the clock to maintain the continuity of the power supply, despite having inadequate infrastructure and system constraints. But despite this, neither the state government nor the PSPCL management is accepting our demands.”

Giving details of their charter of demands, Davinder said their main demand is immediate implementation of the decision with respect to the time bound promotions. “Other demands include continuation of 9/16/23 years time bound promotional scales, category-wise pay scales, time bound promotional scales to Junior Engineers (JE)/Additional Assistant Engineer (AAE), fixing quantum of 30-litres Petrol per month to the field JEs/AAEs, as per the agreement, dated March 14, 1998 and enhancement in the promotion quota from the JE/AAE to Assistant Engineer (AE)/Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE),” he added.

NCC cadets from Chandigarh sail in the Gobind Sagar Lake at Bhakra on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Chandigarh, September 7
As many as 63 NCC cadets, including 22 girls, from the city are undergoing sailing and seamanship training at the Gobind Sagar lake at Bhakra in Himachal
Pradesh. Besides inculcating the spirit of adventure and developing comradeship, the 12-day expedition will prepare them for participating in the national level Nau-sainik camp to be held later at Vishakapatnam.

The expedition was flagged off from Sukhna Lake here by the NCC Additional Director General, Maj Gen MS Virk, this week. They have set up base at Lathiani village on the banks of the Gobind Sagar and would cover a total of 495 kms while visiting various villages located in the vicinity of the lake.

The cadets, who are accompanied by 19 NCC staff members are also conducting social awareness campaigns at the villages and educating the local populace about environmental, health and communal issues.

Commanding Officer, No.1, Chandigarh, NCC Naval Unit, Capt GM Singh said besides sailing, cadets are also being imparted training in drill, leadership, ship-modelling, communication and other service related subjects. The unit has won the Prime Minister’s Trophy for being adjudged as the best NCC Naval Unit in the country.

Amritsar, September 7
The electronic Data Interface (EDI) system at the international airport here has become fully operational, three years after its installation.
The Department of Customs has authorised the Punjab National Bank to collect Customs duty.

Airport Director Sunil Dutt said the EDI system at the cargo complex was now fully operational. This would enable online connectivity between the cargo complex and the bank which would speed up clearance of claims filed by exporters. “The EDI system enables paperless transaction ,” Dutt explained.

Chandigarh, September 7
As many as 16 regimental bands took part in a band competition organised at the Mamun Cantonment near Pathankot today. The trophy for the best band was won by the Madras Regiment. The bands, which included pipes and drums as well as brass bands, belonged to Army units and establishments based in the region.

The show commenced with the buglers sounding the fanfare from the ramparts of the Gurj Stadium.

The GOC, Gurj Division, Maj-Gen G Sankaranarayanan, who was the chief guest, gave away the prizes to the winning teams.

The function concluded with The Retreat. Military bands hold a place of pride in the armed forces.
— TNS

Chandigarh, September 7
The Nehru Sidhant Kender Trust, founded by Sat Paul Mittal, to propagate the ideologies of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, invites nominations for the Sat Paul Mittal National Award for outstanding services to humanity for 2011.

The award will be given under two categories - Individual and institution. Both the categories carry a prize of Rs 2 lakh along with a citation and a medal. The nominations can be sent to the president of the trust, Feroze Gandhi Market, Ludhiana, 1410001, or mailed in PDF format at
gen.secy@nskt.org.

Nominations are invited for honouring individuals and institutions/voluntary organisations working in areas including but not limited to health, education, environment, disabled, food, shelter, poverty alleviation, art, culture, child rights and women empowerment.

The nominations for the award are invited from across India, including Punjab, and the last date to submit the application is September 30.

Mohali, September 7
The cyber crime wing of the Punjab State Crime Branch, Mohali, has arrested a man for allegedly creating a fake profile of a woman from Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, on Facebook.

The arrested has been identified as Kanwaljit Singh (25), a Jagroan-based software professional. A case under Sections 66-A and 66-D of the IT Act and Sections 419 and 509 of the IPC has been registered against him.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, SSP State Crime Branch, said the motive behind the crime was to defame the complainant because of some personal enmity. The case was investigated by a team of officers headed by DSP Vibhor Kumar. The fake profile displayed the woman’s phone number and other details. The profile said she was an organiser of a musical dance group and can be contacted on her mobile number and e-mail. The woman started receiving calls on the basis of her profile and she was forced to approach the crime branch.
— TNS